Category Archives: Austin

I just returned from Austin and had a fabulous time. It was my first visit to Texas. I think what shapes a place are its people and I think Austin is a fine example. As most people had informed me prior to my trip, yes indeed, Southerners are quite friendly. You bet! The people of Austin were friendly, helpful, patient and the men were chivalrous and gentlemenly. I’m all for women’s rights but when women object to such behavior as “sexist” and “I can take care of myself” I just don’t get it. Really. I view it as respectful and not as backwards behavior. Ladies, seriously. Don’t you think you’re worth it?

I also understand that Austin is a bit different from Texas’ other main cities of Dallas and Houston. The slogan in Austin is “Keep Austin Weird.” It’s a big live music city and there is a hipness to the core. The city is fueled by the local University of Texas at Austin and the tech companies. So, on the surface it may appear more progressive than Dallas and Houston but after my five day visit I think ultimately the values are still quite conservative.

And luxury may not be as unattainable as most people may think. Let me share my story.

Judging from my blog globespottingcara.com, I clearly booked a stay at the Four Seasons Lana’i – the Lodge at Koele for three nights in the middle of April. I was in”flexible dates” mode so I pleasantly discovered their “third night free” offer. But I wanted to do some comparison shopping to have a better idea of the value I was getting. I averaged out the nightly rate from the offer and I discovered some interesting facts. At the time of booking, it was actually more expensive to stay at the Sheraton Waikiki on Oahu than this Four Seasons property for the same dates. The Sheraton? What? And then I needed to book lodging for a visit to Austin, Texas in early May. I picked my simple and safe standard – the Hilton Hotels. I chose the main Hilton Austin in downtown and the nightly rate was significantly higher than this Four Seasons average rate. The Hilton? In Texas? Does Austin become some really hot destination in May?

The value continues. I already expressed the reasons why I chose the upcountry Lodge over the oceanfront Manele Bay property but the beauty is that as a guest of either property, you can experience BOTH. There is a shuttle service for a reasonable fee (approximately $50 for your entire stay) that departs every half hour from each site transporting guests to either property. The shuttle customarily stops halfway between sites at the Hotel Lana’i which is in the “Downtown” or “Lana’i Town” area. So you can also explore the local non-resort area as well. I walked the main square in about twenty minutes. This is an idea of what the Lana’i Central Business District is like:

So at the end of the day, do your homework. Do some research. The luxury market may be more accessible than you think. And the beauty of luxury on Lana’i, courtesy of the Fours Seasons Resorts is that you get to experience both properties. Upcountry elegance and world-class oceanfront relaxation are all yours.

I hope you enjoyed my comments about the Four Seasons Resort Lana’i. Of course my disclaimer is that prices/offers may have changed since this post but the take-away is that luxury is not that inaccessible in the Internet age when the consumer has information at their fingertips. The consumer has a lot of power, influence and choice in this age. Marketing folks and luxury brands need to really understand this to keep up and survive.

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